


Fake Dates, True Feelings

by soul_writerr



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Dating, Developing Relationship, Exes, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flirting, Jealousy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 19:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19091665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: He turned to Sonny with a fake smile. “And who is this? One of your errand boys?”Sonny’s eyes narrowed, and he had a thing or two to say about that, but Barba beat him to it and what he said next took Sonny completely by surprise.“He’s my boyfriend,” he said, reaching for Sonny’s hand and squeezing it. “We’re dating.”Or: Rafael bumps into a nasty ex and Sonny goes with it.





	Fake Dates, True Feelings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [icedcoffeebro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/icedcoffeebro/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LORE! 
> 
> You asked for a fake dating fic, so here we are! I hope you enjoy this, and I hope you have a fantastic day!
> 
> Also thanks to Kate for helping me figure this one out, I'm not sure I would have managed without you!

Sonny wasn’t sure how this happened, but he found himself alone with Barba at the bar, and the ADA hadn’t made one single jab about that yet. He expected some sort of teasing joke once the rest of the squad had left, but they just kept chatting, and the drinks kept coming.

At some point, Sonny had turned in his seat so he was facing the ADA, while the other man kept himself in the not-so-comfortable position of only turning his torso towards Sonny. He was also surprised to see that Barba was actually giving him his undivided attention.

That got Sonny a little hot under his collar, too. Barba’s eyes were a truly fascinating shade of green, and being so closely watched by him was a bit intoxicating. 

So what if he had a bit of crush. Barba was attractive, smart, and definitely titillating company.

They had a tentative kind of relationship. Sonny couldn’t help but make a fool of himself in front of the man, and Barba never threw him a bone. So he wasn’t sure where they stood, but sitting there at the bar with him, Sonny was glad to see they were comfortable around each other. 

Well, at least when they were a few drinks in.

“You should have seen the Lieu’s face,” Sonny chuckled, shaking his head. “I thought she was going to punch the guy’s attorney in the balls.” 

Barba hummed, smirking. “I’d hoped she would.”

“Honestly, me too,” he shrugged. “I would have if she’d given me the all-clear.”

“Would you?,” The ADA raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Not for myself. But for the Lieu? You bet.” 

“Noble,” he said, and he sounded genuinely impressed. 

Sonny was about to wave him off, but a tall man approached them with a slightly pinched-face and Sonny thought he was going to come on to one of them, probably Barba by the way his gaze was fixed on him, but then he spoke and Sonny saw the ADA freeze completely. 

“Rafael, isn’t it so nice to see you again,” the man said, and the tone of his voice sounded so bitter Sonny almost stood up to put himself between him and Barba and ask what this guy’s business was while casually flashing his badge. 

However, before he could, Barba turned to the man with a sour expression and said dryly, “I can’t say the same, Richard.”

The man, Richard, gave him a shark-like smile. “I had forgotten how pleasant you can be,” he hissed, then turned to Sonny with the same fake smile. “And who is this? One of your errand boys?”

Sonny’s eyes narrowed, and he had a thing or two to say about that, but Barba beat him to it and what he said next took Sonny completely by surprise. 

“He’s my boyfriend,” he said, reaching for Sonny’s hand and squeezing it. “We’re dating.” 

“Oh,” Richard looked surprised, and very displeased. “I didn’t know you were seeing someone. I wasn’t sure you could find the time, with the way you’re so invested in your work.”

“We work together,” Barba said. “So it works really, really well. Doesn’t it, Sonny?”

The both of them were looking at Sonny now, who had been processing the turn this night had taken while they argued. But with the dexterity of someone who’d worked many undercover assignments, Sonny jumped into his role with professional naturality. 

“It works wonderfully,” he said, and leaned forward to place a soft kiss to Barba’s cheek. “And I’m very lucky,” Sonny almost let himself fall off his seat when he leaned back and saw the way Barba was looking at him. It looked like a challenge. “The luckiest.”

“That’s sweet,” Richard said, but he was grimacing as he offered Sonny a hand to shake. “I’m Richard, Rafael’s ex.” 

“I’m Sonny,” Sonny shook his hand firmly. “The love of Rafael’s life.” 

Sonny really wished he could turn to see Barba’s reaction to that, but he made sure to keep eye-contact with Richard and only caught from the corner of his eyes the way Barba’s back straightened as he got off the tall bar stool to stand next to Sonny. 

“How nice,” The ex said, pulling his hand away. “Why don’t I introduce you to the love of  _ my  _ life then?” 

Richard turned to wave someone over, and that gave Sonny and Barba about half a minute to exchange a couple looks. First Barba looked exasperated, so Sonny shrugged and offered him a little smile. Then Barba sighed and came even closer to Sonny, who then wrapped an arm around his waist. Barba raised an eyebrow at him, and Sonny beamed.

“I’m going with it,” he mouthed at the ADA, and Barba nodded, his lips twitching up slightly as his eyes softened. 

“Here he is,” Richard turned back, pulling another man by the hand. “This is Ken.”

Sonny held back his reaction and kept his expression neutral, but it was hard. The guy looked  _ so much _ like Barba he almost turned to see if the original one was still standing beside him. Ken’s hair wasn’t styled like Barba’s always was nor was he dressed like Barba, and he was paler and a bit shorter, but other than that, they were so similar it was eerie. 

“Hi!,” Ken greeted in a high voice. “It’s so nice to meet you! Dick never introduces me to his friends,” he whined, turning to look at Richard with a pout. 

Richard cleared his throat. “Well, here we are now. This is Rafael, my ex, and Sonny, his boyfriend.”

“The ex?!,” he gasped, but turned to Rafael with a big smile. “I’ve heard  _ so much _ about you! You’re the ADA, right? Richard’s always said you work too much, you know.” 

“Rafael’s work is very important, and he’s dedicated to what he does,” Sonny said with a smile as he pushed Barba against his side. “That’s why he’s got one of the top 5 best conviction rates in the office, and he’s the very best at the type of cases my unit works. It takes someone really special to fight for the victims the way Rafael does,” he said genuinely as he turned to Barba. “And it’s an honor to see him at his very best.”

“You guys are so cute!,” Ken squealed, beaming at them. “Aren’t they, Dick?”

Richard, the bastard, looked like he’d caught a whiff of something vile. “Sure,” he hissed. “Ken, we should go.”

“Already?,” he pouted again. “Just when I finally meet your friends! Why don’t we all go out to dinner sometime?”

“Absolutely not,” Richard said immediately, throwing a murderous look at his boyfriend.

“Why not?,” Sonny smiled politely. “That’d be lovely,” he felt Rafael’s knee digging into his thigh. 

“We must!,” Ken agreed. “How about this Friday?”

“Ken, stop,” Richard pressed.

“I think we’re busy this Friday, aren’t we, Sonny?,” Rafael asked, and threw him a _look_. 

“Not at all! Not for Richard and Ken,” he shrugged. “Friday’s perfect. Do you know Forlini’s?”

“The hole where Rafael hides every night?,” Richard spit.

“Exactly! We’ll meet you there at 8pm,” Sonny said sweetly and waved them goodbye.

Sonny waited with a little smile as the two men pushed through the crowd back to where they came from, and counted down in his head for the moment Barba pulled away from him and finally snapped.

“What  _ the hell _ was that?,” he grunted. “Do you realize that now you’re going to have to come with me to this godforsaken dinner?” 

Sonny’s smile widened. “Yeah, I do.”

“So what? Is your Friday night slow? Why would you agree to that?”

“Because I want to go to dinner with you on Friday, Rafael,” he said honestly, missing the feeling of the ADA's warmth so close to him.

Rafael blinked at him. “What does that even mean?”

“It means that I had fun tonight, and I was being honest when I said all those things. You’re remarkable, and I’d be stupid to pass up the opportunity,” Sonny shrugged, but he was blushing. It had been a bold move, and he hoped to all things holy that it wouldn’t put his relationship with Rafael in jeopardy. 

The ADA seemed to consider him for a while, then he smirked. “You’re not the love of my life, Carisi. You weren’t being _honest_ there .” 

Sonny laughed out loud, tilting his head to look at Rafael. “Is that a challenge, Counselor? Because I don’t back down from challenges.”

Rafael huffed. “Clearly,” he rolled his eyes jokingly. “Too bad we’re going to have to share our date with those two dickheads.”

“We don’t have to go,” he said, suddenly regretting that he’d set that up. “You don’t owe them anything.”

“Oh, we’re going,” Rafael smirked. “You wanted a challenge? You got yourself one.”

Sonny sighed. “Can we have our first date before that, then?”

“Doesn’t this count as a first date?,” he asked teasingly, gesturing towards their drinks.

“If it does, does that mean I get to drive you home?,” Sonny flirted back, leaning closer to him by instinct.

“I think so,” Rafael leaned closer as well. “And if you’re good, I’ll let you kiss me goodnight, too.”

Sonny swallowed hard. “I’ll be good.”

Rafael laughed. “I’m hoping,” he winked, and picked up his drink so they could toast to that.

To the turn their night took.

To their first date.

And to the ones to come.

After that, there was no need to fake anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to let me know what you think! Comments and kudos make a writer very happy. <3


End file.
